Very few, if any, would argue against the notion that Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is currently one of the best shooting guards in the game today, if not of all time. He's the type of guy that can catch fire at any given moment, and when he does, there's just no stopping Klay.
The 2018-19 season was another tremendous campaign for Thompson, as he put up 21.5 points (on 46.7 percent shooting), 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 34.0 minutes per contest, while also draining 3.1 three-pointers on a 40.2-percent clip. The 6-foot-7 guard also exhibited his trademark durability, missing only five games throughout the season, including one in the Finals.
There was no repeat of Thompson's epic 2015 37-point quarter this season — in fact, we might not see this again from anybody else, ever — but there was definitely no shortage of notable moments from another successful campaign from the 29-year-old. Below are our picks for his Top 5 of the 2018-19 season.
vs. New York Knicks (Jan 8, 2019)
Thompson started the calendar year in typical Klay Thompson fashion — scorching hot. Just eight days into the new year, the five-time All-Star turned in another gem, and this time around, it was the New York Knicks that fell victim to his unstoppable firepower.
The lopsided contest ended in favor of the Dubs, 122-95, with Thompson leading the way with 43 points (on 18-of-29 from the floor), seven three-pointers (on 16 attempts), two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 34 minutes of action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0MZpSUMCzY
vs. Denver Nuggets (Mar 8, 2019)
This was a marquee matchup against a powerhouse Denver Nuggets side that were contending for the top seed in the West. Thompson made sure he would have the last laugh in this one, as he dominated Nikola Jokic and company, en route to a 39-point performance, along with nine three-pointers, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 35 minutes of play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq82pFJZInI
at Los Angeles Lakers (Jan 21, 2019)
Thompson absolutely torched the Los Angeles Lakers on January 21st by draining 10 out of his 11 attempts from deep, on his way to a 44-point performance in Hollywood. He was nearly perfect in this one (he logged 17-of-20 from the field overall), as he gave a hapless L.A. squad no chance.
What makes this even more interesting is the narrative behind it, with rumors already swirling pertaining to Klay's potential move to the Lakers in the offseason as a free agent (which obviously never came to be). At that point, LeBron James was still dealing with a bum groin, and had no other option but to watch Klay's amazing performance from the sidelines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcz6s3ivJRg
vs. Toronto Raptors (Jun 6, 2019 – NBA Finals Game 6)
There is no doubt that this contest will be remembered as the game when Thompson sustained a gruesome ACL injury, and even tried to play through it (he actually made a couple of free throws before finally leaving the contest). Well, for those who may have forgotten, let me remind you that before he was forced to leave the game deep in the third quarter, Game 6 Klay was on full display. This was arguably his best performance throughout the playoffs, and certainly one of the most memorable ones of the entire season.
Klay finished with 30 points (on 66.7 percent shooting), four treys, five rebounds, and two steals, before heading to the hospital.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62TINGsZPvg
at Chicago Bulls (Oct 29, 2018)
Just eight games into the new season and already, Thompson was in peak form. He shocked the world yet again with his best performance of the season — and definitely one of the most memorable ones throughout his career — by draining an NBA record 14 three-pointers in a single game, en route to a season-high 52-point outing. Oh and the best part, he achieved this stunning feat in just 27 minutes of play in three quarters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN8gYTQ8_mY
Unfortunately for all of us, Thompson's ACL injury means that he will be out for the better part of the 2019-20 campaign. There is still some hope that he makes a comeback at the tail end of the new season, but this will be highly dependent on how well the Warriors perform throughout the year. One thing we're sure of is that head coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State medical team will be erring on the side of caution with Klay, and absolutely play it safe with their superstar.
This being the case, we're not being hopeful about seeing a fair amount of vintage Klay performances in the coming year, so for now, we have no choice but to enjoy his past conquests. Thank God there are a ton of them!
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